Chinese word

串门

Pronunciation

Pinyinchuàn mén

Meaning

  • verbdrop by

Example

我周末会去你家串门。wǒ zhōu mò huì qù nǐ jiā chuàn mén

I'll drop by your place this weekend.

Illustration for 串门 (drop by)

More examples

今天回家的路上我顺便去朋友家串门。jīn tiān huí jiā de lù shàng wǒ shùn biàn qù péng yǒu jiā chuàn mén

Today, on my way home, I dropped by a friend's house.

Core concept

A person moves through a familiar circle of nearby homes, making a brief, easy social stop rather than arranging a formal visit.

Common phrases

  • 去串门qù chuàn mén

    go drop by

  • 去朋友家串门qù péng yǒu jiā chuàn mén

    go drop by a friend's house

  • 到亲戚家串门dào qīn qī jiā chuàn mén

    go drop by a relative's house

Similar words

访问fǎng wèn: Visit someone at home or work to exchange information or discuss a matter.
拜访bài fǎng: Pay a courteous visit to someone at home or at their workplace.
上门shàng mén: Go directly to someone's home to take care of a matter.
看望kàn wàng: Visit a sick or elderly person to offer care, company, or encouragement.

Definition in Chinese

到邻居或朋友家走动，挨家串访或顺道拜访，常指短暂停留的随意行为。dào lín jū huò péng yǒu jiā zǒu dòng āi jiā chuàn fǎng huò shùn dào bài fǎng cháng zhǐ duǎn zàn tíng liú de suí yì xíng wéi

Word origin

串 (chuàn, "to string together") + 门 (mén, "door") creates the image of linking one doorway to the next through casual visits.

Usage tips

  • This is a conversational word for friendly social calls, so formal announcements and business writing usually use a more neutral verb for visiting.

Other meanings

  • visitverb

Related words

  • 串门儿chuàn ménrgo drop byverb

Word lists with this word